I never thought my life would come to this. For two years I remained focused on the purpose of my life: do well and stay out of trouble. I had lots to make up for in this world. When I met my end I still wanted to choose heaven and not be destined to an eternity of hell. My father was determined for me to rot in hell beside him. Maybe now that he killed Vicky, I wanted to rot in hell. I had nothing to live for. He was right, I rejected my destiny every step of the way. Now I was going to fuck myself over once more, but I had nothing to lose.

“What’s in that head of yours, Son?” he smiled. I probably looked like a mad man as my head flicked back and forth between my father and Vicky, who was hunched over and bleeding. I needed to get to her, but now my father was pointing that damn handgun to my face. I realized I had been shot and I placed my hand over my shoulder as blood oozed out of me. Justin lay bleeding at my feet; he had been a victim in this life like I had been. He was not like Henri, who had been consumed by the evil that resonated through this life of crime.

“So do it, Luc, what are you waiting for? You’ve always been a coward, and you will die a coward, you fool,” he chuckled to himself, looking directly into my eyes like he was daring me to shoot him. With my good arm I held my gun, pointed to his face. I knew if I shoot, he would shoot too, and this would all be over, but I could hear Vicky gasping for air. I knew she needed me.

“Luc, brother, this is not the answer,” Justin cut in with a shaky voice as he held onto his stomach, bleeding out on the floor. I had been where he was. I saw death, I knew what the end looked like. I wanted to do better, to be better.

“Justin, shoot your brother,” my father ordered, without removing his eyes from my gun or me.

“Father, please,” Justin begged, looking between us with sad eyes. “Luc, please don’t do this. Let’s talk, there is a way out of this,” Justin pleaded like a lost boy. We had all been lost boys with a cruel father. Only now Justin lay helpless and bleeding on the floor.

As I held the cold metal in my hand and aimed the revolver on my mark, the blood flowing through my veins frosted over. I felt cold and empty. I had no choice but to pull the trigger. Like a hunter he had cornered me, and like a wild animal I was trapped. I tried to leave quietly. I tried to start a new life but it was never in his plans. I was never really free. The walls of my throat thickened. I had tried so hard to be good. All I wanted was a family, to be loved, and to give love, but he would never allow it. He tried to make me into something I wasn't. I lived the facade for too long.

I inhaled a sharp breath, and it felt like a knife slicing through me. Justin gasped but he didn’t make a move on his gun.

“I order you to shoot him, Justin, I am the boss, you answer and listen to me,” my father demanded. I pulled back the trigger, but a gun went off and it wasn’t mine. It hit my father in the chest and he fell backward, hitting the ground. Joe had shot him from his position on the floor. I needed to get to Vicky but before I did, I looked down to my father and pulled the trigger. I closed my eyes, knowing I’d never missed my mark, I'd been trained not to. As the bullet left the revolver, I opened my eyes, I'd hit my target spot on. I fell to my knees as the air was sucked from my body. The bullet landed in his heart. There would be no chance of survival that way.

“Luc, get Vicky,” Joe hollered from the floor, he was losing lots of blood. I stumbled over to the chair that Vicky was tied to, and using my bad hand I released the ties and removed the gag from her. It looked like she was shot in the leg. I ripped off my shirt and tied it over her wound and lifted her up on my good side. I was bleeding badly myself, and the pain was piercing through me. I felt like I could faint, but I knew I needed to get her help. I needed to call an ambulance. A moment later I heard police and ambulance sirens, and I walked out of the room with Vicky in my arms. As the ambulance pulled up two paramedics got out.

“Please help her, she’s been shot. She’s pregnant,” I cried out. The paramedics moved quickly, getting a stretcher out of the back. My heart was beating so fast. Vicky closed her eyes and I wanted to fall to my knees. “Please help her,” I said, as tears fell relentlessly from my eyes.

“Yes, sir, we have called a helicopter, the victims will be airlifted shortly,” the paramedic replied.

“Sir, you’ve been shot, you need to lie on the stretcher,” I heard another medic say, but everything sounded muffled. I’m dying …I’m dying and Vicky…I needed to get to Vicky…

I felt dizzy but I saw police walking by, there were flashing red lights everywhere and deep down I was praying. I was praying that she would be okay. I lifted up to get off the stretcher. I succumbed to dizziness.

“Is she okay? I need to get to her…” I mumbled.

“We are assisting her, sir, she is receiving an IV, please lie back down,” the paramedic urged me back down on the stretcher. I had no strength to fight him.

“She’s pregnant, she’s pregnant…” I felt like I was yelling.

“It’s okay, sir, thank you for telling us,” the paramedic responded. I grasped my shoulder tight. I needed pain relief.

A helicopter arrived hovering in the sky. It created a brisk wind as it landed on the other side of the parking lot.

“We will take you and the girl on the first copter, the other men will be airlifted shortly,” one of the paramedics explained.

“Okay her brother…Joe….Joe…” I continued to scream.

“Calm down, sir, we will be getting the other people on helicopters as soon as possible,” the same medic continued. Then he poked my good hand and inserted an IV.

“Her pulse is weak,” one medic shouted out. I pulled to get up but they had strapped me down. Oh no…oh no… then everything went blank.

Chapter 31

Luc

I’m running fast. I need to get to Vicky. It’s nighttime; we are in a forest. My father has her. He’s running away with her. I need to get to her. I need to save her.

“Why isn’t he waking up?” I heard a voice ask. I shook my head back and forth.

“Luc, it’s Bryce…Luc,” he was calling out to me. It’s Bryce; he was here. Where am I? I opened my eyes. Bryce was standing above me.

“Hi.” He smiled. I felt disoriented, but I thought it was only a dream. I was covered in sweat. I pulled to sit up and pain radiated through my arm.

“Ahhh,” I screamed out and fell back down.

“Luc, relax, everything is okay. Vicky is okay.” Bryce urged me to lie down. I took a long breath. Vicky is okay! “Luc, Vicky was shot in the thigh, she lost some blood, but she’s okay. She woke up from surgery already. She was asking for you…you are okay too. The bullet was three inches away from your heart. You are one lucky bastard,” Bryce chuckled. He looked worn and tired. “Doctors said you carried her out of there and held on to her until you knew she was safe. Thank you, Luc.” Bryce’s eyes squinted and they looked a little red.

“I need to go to Vicky,” I mumbled. I still felt woozy but I was not asleep anymore. I remember what really happened.

“Let me call the nurse and tell them you’re awake. You will have to be in that arm sling for at least six weeks while you heal. The doctors told me,” Bryce explained and then he turned around to leave my room. I needed to get to Vicky, I needed to see her to see if she was okay and the baby.

“Mr. Lebaum.” An older nurse walked into the room. “I understand you want to see your wife.” She smiled kindly and I looked over to Bryce. He must have told her we were married. “We usually don’t allow patients to see each other, especially straight out of surgery, but I will wheel you over to her. Just lie in the bed and try not to move,” she said as she pulled my bed out of the room. Bryce followed us, holding on to the IV rod.